Planning A Last Minute Holiday? You Need To Check Out Birmingham
Let’s face it, the fantasy of deserted golden beaches, fun in the sea and relaxing bar-b-ques with the family is more akin to travel agents’ brochures than reality. If, like so many others, you’ve done the United Kingdom beach holiday in the past, more often than not the experience revolves around bored children, overcrowded beaches, overpriced, sand in your pants and the constant worry of sunburn; not exactly the perfect way to spend relaxing quality time with the family, is it?
“So what else is there for a fun-loving family to do?”, I hear you asking.
Breaking with tradition and heading for a major city may not seem, at first, like a great way to get away from the stress of modern life. City breaks, although not offering the sea air and sound of surf rolling up the beach, in some ways offer far more. Take Birmingham as an example: there is a wide range of activities to keep everyone entertained, and with some exceptional early booking deals available from the likes of Travelodge and other popular UK hotel chains, a week long city break could work out cheaper than a trip to the seaside.
In terms of entertainment and places of interest, here are just a few examples of what can be found in and around Britain’s Second City, Birmingham:
Cadbury World: Opened on 14th August 1990, and remains the only purpose built visitor centre in the UK devoted entirely to chocolate. If you want to stay in the good books of your wife or partner, be sure to include this on the tour trail.
Sea Life Center: Fancy diving beneath the sea without getting your hair wet? At the Sea Life Center, you’ll come face to face with everything from shrimps to giant sea turtles, and learn tons of great stuff from Sea Life experts. Hey, how does coming face to face with the UK’s first Hammerhead sharks sound?
The Birmingham Hippodrome: This famous venue offers something for everyone. Treat the family to an evening of entertainment with some of the biggest-named shows around.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses: This 15-acre oasis of horticultural delight opened to subscribers in 1832. Today, you will find beauty, peace and tranquillity combined with excellent visitor facilities for the whole family.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: Here you can see art and objects spanning seven centuries of European and world history, and culture. Find out more about Birmingham’s past, or see the Egyptian mummies, which are always popular with the kids.
ThinkTank: This most modern of science museums lets visitors investigate everything from full-size locomotives and aircraft to intestines and taste buds. There’s also the awe-inspiring, truly breathtaking planetarium for any amateur astronomers out there.
IMAX Theatre: Jaw dropping and spectacular, that’s the IMAX Cinema at Millennium Point (in the same building as ThinkTank). It’s by far the largest movie screen in the Midlands – as high as a five-story building and as wide as four buses. It’s also got 3D technology to bring the action right to the very tip of your nose.
Every city has its unique points and attractions. Indeed, chances are that a trip to the city just might be more entertaining and relaxing for the whole family than the hard to find serenity of the perfect beach. So, next time you’re planning a family holiday or weekend getaway, consider the alternatives and keep the dynamic city of Birmingham in mind.